Ben 10: Ultimate Effect
by Judge Royce
Summary: Ben Tennyson has done many amazing and impossible things during his hero career. But saving an alternate reality from a race of genocidal machines? That's a new one.
1. Illusive Paradox

_**Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have decided to write this. I have nothing else to do, and Bigby the Big Bad Wolf wanted to see someone do it. So, here we go. Reviews appreciated.**_

* * *

**Chapter 1: Illusive Paradox**

The star seemed to be doing battle with itself, cool blue facing down blazing red, each vying for dominance in the empty blackness of space. Such a shame it was unknown, and therefore nameless.

The man in the suit, seated in his custom-made chair and cradling a cigarette between two fingers of his right hand, was rapidly reading and analyzing reports from all over his organization. Occasionally he would give a pleased smile or a disappointed scowl, the results of experiments or the outcome of his agents' missions each bringing forth their own reaction in him.

This man possessed no name, only a moniker.

The Illusive Man, leader of Cerberus, an organization whose primary goal was the advancement of the human race in a galaxy controlled by turians, asari, salarians, and other extraterrestrial species who looked down on mankind for their perceived aggression and headstrong nature.

He had once been known as Jack Harper, a mercenary who fought during the First Contact War, and the first man to ever set foot on Palaven. He had met the now-deceased Saren Arterius and his deranged brother.

And now, he was dead-set on saving humanity from the greatest threat the galaxy has ever known.

The Reapers, a race of hyper-advanced machines that possessed incredible firepower and the ability to corrupt and mind-control organics; a process known as indoctrination, something that Saren had suffered from before his death via Commander Shepard.

That was two years ago, and now, large amounts of human colonies were just disappearing without a trace; abducted by some dangerous, unseen force. The Illusive Man had a hunch on who or what was responsible, but he possessed no solid evidence. His only option at the moment was to wait for the most expensive project in Cerberus history to finally finish. Then they could take the fight to the Reapers.

After a few moments, the Man noticed something strange. He had been expecting his second-in-command, Miranda Lawson, to arrive one minute and thirty-eight seconds ago. Miranda Lawson was _never_ late; she was practically a machine, always on time and always doing her damnedest to be perfect in everything she did.

Then he noticed something else.

The star that made up his entire view had stopped its activity. No more tendrils of solar energy flailing around in space. No blue and red engaging in war to conquer the surface. No movement whatsoever.

Then the Man's screens of information, currently displaying the progress of the Lazarus Project, flickered before going dark and disappearing. But the Illusive Man did not distress. Instead, he lifted his cigarette to his mouth, took a long, contemplative draw, and began wondering about the strange presence in the room that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Quite an impressive view," came a male voice, carrying what sounded like a British accent. "Pity it's reserved for a madman such as you, Mr. Harper."

The Illusive Man did not react, simply waiting for his uninvited guest to reveal himself.

The sound of footsteps echoed throughout the silent room as the person drew closer, before revealing himself on the Man's left side.

The intruder possessed slick-back black hair and wore a lab coat over what appeared to be clothes reminiscent of Earth in the 1960s. He wore a pair of goggles around his neck, and held a slight frown on his face as he walked past the Man, never looking at him.

When the strange man stood directly in front of the Illusive Man, he turned around and locked eyes with him. And the Illusive Man understood one thing from his haunting gaze; this person, whoever he was, could completely destroy him. No hesitation, no remorse. Maybe he was human, maybe he was something beyond comprehension. But he was extremely dangerous.

"I hope you don't mind that I temporarily shifted us into a faster realm of time. Wouldn't want someone such as Miss Lawson walking in while we conduct our business," the man continued, never breaking his gaze.

The Illusive Man breathed out smoke as he spoke. "And who exactly am I conducting business _with_?"

The stranger's expression went from stoic to cheerful in an instant. "Well, you see, I've forgotten what my name is. Been a long time since anyone's referred to me as such. So just call me Professor Paradox."

The Illusive Man didn't blink or react in any way. "Well, 'Professor', might I ask what sort of being is capable of shifting time on a whim like you have just done?"

Paradox simply smirked as he took two steps toward the seated Man. "I am a human, much like yourself."

Before the man formerly known as Jack Harper could think of any particular inquiry, the time-manipulating stranger continued speaking. "But that is a story for another time. I'm here to talk about these dossiers you are creating for Commander Shepard's upcoming mission."

The Illusive Man leaned forward slightly, his interest further piqued.

"I know you have many individuals in mind for this particular endeavor. However, I am here to add one more, if you'll consider him."

Paradox's smile grew slightly as the Illusive Man blinked and answered. "When a man who can control one of the fundamental forces of reality appears and offers assistance, refusing would be a foolish notion. Are you offering your own services, or forwarding a recommendation?"

The professor simply walked forward and produced a datapad seemingly out of nowhere, holding it out for the Illusive Man, who took it and immediately began browsing through its contents as Paradox turned and continued gazing at the frozen star

After a few moments, the Man spoke. "Benjamin Tennyson... And he's only nineteen, you say?"

"Don't let his age fool you, Mr. Harper. Ben Tennyson is more than a match for any being in the galaxy, including Commander Shepard."

"But is he a match for the Reapers?" the Illusive Man questioned quietly, his eyes lingering on one word in particular. "What is this 'Omnitrix' the dossier speaks of?"

Paradox turned, smiling once more as he explained. "The Omnitrix is a highly advanced piece of technology that allows Ben to transform into extraterrestrial species at a whim."

The Illusive Man paused. "So he could transform into a krogan or asari if he wished?"

"He's have to unlock their DNA first, but yes, that is entirely plausible. You see, Ben, and myself, are from a parallel reality to yours. A parallel past, as a matter of fact. We have many more alien species in our universe than yours, and he has access to more than seventy of them, all very formidable. He's used the device many times to protect not only Earth, but the entire universe."

The Illusive Man leaned back in his chair, calmly thinking over everything he had just heard and digesting this new information.

"Some of the abilities he possesses with his aliens include, but are not limited to, superhuman strength, super speed, flight, energy absorption and projection, gravikinesis, super intelligence, enhanced senses, underwater breathing, regeneration, size manipulation, and self-replication. And that's just the beginning," Paradox explained, feeling quite pleased as he noticed the Illusive Man become more and more intrigued.

"But I know your kind, Mr. Harper. You require facts and evidence of a person's potential before you would place them on a mission as crucial as this one. So, would you like to see Ben Tennyson and the Omnitrix in action?"

The leader of Cerberus looked up sharply. "That sounds most intriguing, Professor."

With that, the man stood up and walked over to stand next to Paradox.

"Very well," Paradox said jovially. "Let us be off."

A bright flash of light later, and they were gone.

* * *

All Ben had wanted was a smoothie. It was just that simple. Drive to Mr. Smoothie's, get one of his favorite flavors, sit down, and enjoy a day of not going hero and dealing with bank robbers or terrorists or alien conquerers.

Ever since Gwen had gone off to college, Kevin going with her and now working at a mechanic's, things had been rather boring for Ben Tennyson. He had no luck in the girl department, he had no reason to get a job (selling off Diamondhead shards online made him quite a nice profit), and he lived alone in his own apartment now, having moved out of his folks' place a year ago. The bad guys just seemed to show up less and less. As if they were finally learning their lesson.

Except for days when he finally could relax, apparently. Go to the beach? Angry mutated crab attacks from the ocean. Go to amusement park? Zombozo's old goon trio tries to rob the joint, which, naturally, did not end well.

Go to Mr. Smoothie's, and guess who's waiting for him?

The lamest team-up ever, apparently.

"Aw, come on guys!" Ben cried as he stepped out of his car. "Can't we do this later? I desperately want a smoothie!"

The alien bounty hunter known as Sunder merely laughed from atop his glider. "I've come for your Omnitrix, Ben Tennyson! And this time, I have help!"

"No more will you interfere in my busssinessss, boy," Ssserpent growled as he bared his fangs, his forked tongue flailing about in what was supposed to be a threatening manner. Honestly, what was Ssserpent's thing? Sunder wanted the Omnitrix, Rojo wanted money, Animo wanted world domination. But what did the mutated snake guy want? Honestly, sometimes it felt like his only purpose was to just get a beatdown from the wielder of the Omnitrix.

Ben frowned as he adjusted his jacket. "I'm gonna give you guys one chance to walk away. Otherwise, things aren't gonna end well for you."

In response, Sunder fired up his energy axe and charged forward, Ssserpent following close behind.

Ben sighed as he activated the Omnitrix and slammed down on one of his newest aliens.

A flash of green light later, and Ben Tennyson was now someone else. A creature with a dark blue body, a white stripe going down his chest, plug-like attachments on his hands and the two antenna on his head, and a single green eye in the middle of his face.

"**FEEDBACK!**" he cried, grinning as he flexed his fingers. "Oh, yeah! You guys are in for it now!"

* * *

From a rooftop across the street, Professor Paradox and the Illusive Man watched as Ben began his fight against the bounty hunter and the snake-man.

"So that is the power of the Omnitrix," the Illusive Man muttered to himself as he pulled out another cigarette, lighting it and taking in a large amount of smoke.

"Yes, and that is simply one of many forms Ben has unlocked over the years. This one, Feedback, was just unlocked little more than a month ago. His powers are quite impressive."

As if on cue, the alien on the glider swung his axe and fired an energy blast at the being known as Feedback, who simply grinned before lifting his fingers and his antennae toward the blast.

The Illusive Man felt his eyes widen as he watched the transformed young man absorb the energy through the plug-like attachments on his body. Once all the energy was consumed, Feedback cracked his neck before aiming his hands at both Ssserpent and Sunder. Suddenly, large blue blasts of electricity emerged from the finger-plugs and roared towards Ben's foes.

While Sunder leaped off his glider, allowing it to be destroyed by the blast, Ssserpent bore the full brunt of the attack, being blown into the air and crashing onto a car nearby. He didn't get up.

"One down, one to go!" Feedback cheered. "Let's mix things up a little with an old favorite."

With that, Ben tapped the Omnitrix dial on his chest and transformed into a hulking alien with four arms, red skin, black pants, golden braces on his arms, and fingerless gloves on his hands.

"**FOURARMS!**"

"Impressive. I'm guessing this form is used solely for its brute strength?" the Illusive Man guessed.

"Correct, Mr. Harper. Fourarms is one of Ben's first aliens, and a fan-favorite," Paradox said cheerfully.

Down below, the teen-transformed-Tetramand was swinging madly, Sunder doing his best to dodge every punch coming his way.

Deciding that going on the offensive was a better option, Sunder leaped into the air and swung his axe towards Ben's head, attempting an instant killing blow. Fourarms simply grabbed it and yanked Sunder toward him, smacking him with a powerful headbutt and knocking him out. The Tetramand calmly snapped the ax over his knee before transforming back to his human form.

"Very impressive. He'll make an invaluable addition to Shepard's team," the head of Cerberus muttered.

"Told you so," Paradox responded as he pulled out a pocketwatch. "Well, Mr. Harper, we must get going. I have a schedule to keep."

And with that, they were gone, having never been noticed by Ben Tennyson, who was now attempting to get the smoothie he so craved.

* * *

The moment they returned to Cerberus's headquarters, Paradox could see the gears spinning in the Illusive Man's head, and he frowned. "But rest assured Mr. Harper, Ben would _never_ join Cerberus. Under _any_ circumstances. He does not believe in one species standing above another, and he most assuredly would abhor partaking in your inhumane experiments."

The Illusive Man picked up a strong undercurrent of disapproval in Paradox's tone, but he pushed it aside. Alternate dimensions? Shapeshifting technology? A man who can control time itself? The universe had just been expanded beyond belief.

"But that is _his_ choice, not yours, Professor," came his smooth reply.

"True," Paradox conceded. "But what makes Ben Tennyson special isn't the Omnitrix, but his character. He possesses a charisma matching that of Commander Shepard's, and a pure heart that always causes him to do the right thing. Joining up with an organization that poisons innocent turian colonies and experiments on children wouldn't be considered 'doing the right thing' in his eyes. Or in the eyes of any rational person, really."

The Illusive Man took another draw from his cigarette before standing up and exhaling more smoke, walking to stand next to Paradox in looking out the window.

"If you think so little of Cerberus, then why don't you accelerate that star into a black hole, or prevent my birth, or commit any number of actions that could stop this organization from existing?"

Paradox smiled grimly, knowing the Illusive Man already had an idea in mind.

"It's simple. For all your power and knowledge over time itself, you still have to follow certain rules, just like a normal human. Just like the Alliance."

The Man turned to stare into Paradox's eyes.

"That's what makes Cerberus different. We follow no one else's rules. Not the Alliance's, not the Council's. We're willing to go anywhere and do anything for the good of humanity. _That's_ why we experiment with biotics. _That's_ why we try and create advanced cybernetics. And that's why we're willing to cheat death itself to bring back mankind's hero. And in the end, history will vindicate us."

"I sincerely doubt that," the professor retorted. "I hold much respect for you, Mr. Harper. You have great intelligence and powerful vision, but it's ruined by your foolish belief in human dominance instead of equality."

Paradox's face became stoic as he paused, slipping his hands back inside his pockets.

"We will speak again soon. I have business to attend to, and you have a meeting with Miss Lawson that should provide some good news."

Paradox began walking away, but paused after four steps and turned back to the Illusive Man.

"Rest assured, Mr. Harper, Ben Tennyson _will_ save the galaxy. And, perhaps, he will save you too."

And in a flash of light, he was gone.

The Illusive Man took another draw on his cigarette, his mind in deep thought.

Things had just gotten a _lot_ more interesting.

* * *

**Yeah, I know, this chapter is short as hell, but I just couldn't find a way to expande it without making it boring.**

**Anyway, I started this story in ME2 since ME1 is just frustrating to write about. It's a great game, just slightly less interesting. Also, Fourarms in this story is based more off his design in Ben 10/Generator Rex: Heroes United. I just like that look better.**

**And honestly, I truly despise the look and atmosphere of Omniverse. Ben 10 has really gone downhill, if you ask me. But I will admit, I do like some of the aliens (especially Gravattack), so a few (like Feedback, of course) will appear in this story, but not all (seriously, what exactly is the point of aliens like Ball Weevil and The Worst? They were thrown in for comic relief, nothing more!).**

**Enough complaining. Next chapter should be up soon, with Ben waking up on the wonderful space station known as Omega. What could go wrong?**

**One last thing: You'll notice I haven't put in if Shepard is male or female. That's for YOU to decide. I have a poll up on my profile page, so, if you want this story to go one way or the other, let your voice be heard and your vote counted. After that poll is closes, I'll put up another one where the readers can decide Ben's love interest in the story.**

**Reviews appreciated, both praise and criticism taken to heart.**


	2. Welcome to Omega

_**Alright, here's chapter 2. Enjoy.**_

* * *

**Chapter 2: Welcome to Omega**

Ben Tennyson sighed as he glanced once more around his surroundings, knowing that his day had just gone from bad to worse.

After the whole incident with Sunder and Ssserpent, he had finally gotten a smoothie and had gone to enjoy it in his car, listening to some music on the radio as thought about what to do for the day.

Then, a bright flash of light later, he was lying on the ground in some dark corridor which smelled terrible and gave off a sense of dread. He had picked upself up, dusted himself off, and complained that he didn't get to finish his smoothie. Then, as if things couldn't get any worse, a group of five aliens, each with four eyes, approached and attempted to mug him at gunpoint, demanding "his credits, his omni-tool, and that stupid watch".

Ben didn't know what an "omni-tool" was, but he was familiar with credits (of which he had none), and there was no way he was giving them the Omnitrix. So, after a rumble with Rath, the four-eyed aliens were subdued and Ben was left to wander this weird place, making him wonder if he was on an alien world.

Of course, that train of thought went out the window when he saw that he was in space, leading him to logically assume he was on some massive life-supporting space station.

So, he found the nearest being he could, which was a strange, bird-like alien with mandibles and dark eyes, and asked where he was.

The alien had looked at him like he was crazy and replied with "You're on Omega, kid. You hit a little too much of the red sand?"

Ben didn't know what "red sand" was, but he thanked the alien and went on his way. He then attempted to use the Omnitrix to access Plumber communication channels and find someone who could help him. All he got was static.

So, Plan B: Find a spaceport.

Easier said than done, however, as Ben wandered the place with no idea where to go and no directory to give him help.

Of course, this was where Ben noticed something was wrong.

First, he only saw a handful of different aliens. Normally, on space stations (at least in his experience), you see all kinds of lifeforms. Galvanic Mechomorph here, Pyronite there, maybe a Galval complaining at the poor quality of a product he had purchased. But here, all Ben saw were less than a dozen different species.

The four-eyed aliens, which all appeared to give him a look of contempt whenever he passed by. The bird-like aliens with their frills and mandibles, weird skinny aliens with large black eyes and three fingers, large elephant-looking aliens that walked on their forearms like gorilla, small rotund ones that were contained in suits, human-shaped ones also in suits with a visor revealing glowing eyes, blue and purple-skinned feminine ones with tentacles on their heads, large dinosaur-looking ones with plates on their heads and unpleasant expressions on their faces, and hostile ones with sharp teeth and strange, almost mangled-looking skin.

But what really confused him was the sight of humans on this station. Something which shouldn't be possible, as humans were practically oblivious of aliens back on Earth. And none of them appeared to be Plumbers, as they all looked mostly thuggish or vagrant-like.

Knowing that he needed answers, Ben turned to desperate measures and used Upgrade to hack a nearby electronic computer-like device (later identified as a terminal) and find out all he could.

What he learned chilled him to the core.

The year was 2185. Humans had found a Prothean (apparently a highly advanced alien species that vanished over 50,000 years ago) data cache on Mars in the year 2148, allowing them to take to the stars and almost start a war with another species, the Turians (the bird-like species with the mandibles Ben had seen). The galaxy was run by a Council of chosen species, and Omega was where the scum of the galaxy went to live and make a living. Species achieved faster-than-light travel through things called mass relays, and some species, upon exposure to something called element zero, gained the power to manipulate dark energy, and were termed "biotics". Thanks to Upgrade's advanced systems, Ben learned a great deal in a short amount of time, and his photographic memory allowed him to retain every last bit of info he came across.

Ben also learned the names of all the current species in the galaxy; Batarians (the four-eyed ones who tried to mug him), Asari (the tentacle-headed aliens), Salarians (ones with the large eyes and skinny bodies), Elcor (the large gorilla-elephant ones), Krogan (the dinosaur-like ones), Vorcha (the sharp-toothed ones), Volus (the aliens that were short and round in the suits), Quarians (the other suited race that lived on a "Migrant Fleet"), plus some he hadn't seen yet, such as Hanar (jellyfish-looking aliens that floated), Drell (fish-like and almost extinct), and Geth (a hostile machine race drove the quarians from their planet).

There was no mention of any of the alien species Ben had come to know over the years, such as Tetramands or Vulpimancers.

So, what did that mean?

Well, all he could think was that he was in an alternate future, sent here for a reason he wasn't sure of, and he was almost positive Professor Paradox was to blame. No one else could send him through time like this.

And while that explanation would seem insane to anyone else, to Ben Tennyson, it was just another weird adventure to chalk up on his long and illustrious career.

So now, Ben was currently going over his options when another batarian strolled up behind him with what appeared to be a high-tech assault rifle in his hands.

"Aria would like to speak to you, kid," he said gruffly, sounding like he would rather be doing anything than retrieving some teenager for his boss.

"Who?" Ben asked, having never heard the name before.

The batarian chuckled. "Oh, you're definitely a new arrival. Just follow me. Disobeying Aria would be hazardous to your health **and **mine."

With that, the four-eyed alien turned and began walking away, allowing Ben to follow him. Why not, right? If something bad happens, Humongousaur gets to smack a few heads. And if things went right, he could finally get some decent answers.

After a while of walking past more aliens and humans, all of which watched him wearily, apparently noticing that he was with an employee of Aria (whoever that was), and thought it wise to keep their distance.

Eventually, they walked into a more open area, allowing Ben to see many buildings and flying vehicles in the distance. And then, there was the establishment directly ahead, its neon lights showing flames, and large purple letters spelling out "AFTERLIFE".

The batarian walked past the long line and the elcor bouncer, Ben hot on his heels, managing to hear a guy attempt to bribe his way past the bouncer before being rebuked.

The wielder of the Omnitrix now stood in a well-lit entrance hallway, neon flames dancing along the walls, and he could hear faint techno-dance music through the walls. At the end of the hallway was another door, and the batarian was now tapping his foot impatiently, waiting for Ben to hurry up. The teen jogged to catch up, and the door opened.

"Welcome to Afterlife, junior," the batarian said as Ben took in his new surroundings.

In the middle of the circular room was a large, round holographic cylinder filled with neon light and flashing images of dancing asari in skimpy outfits. Around the neon cylinder was a ring-shaped platform suspended from the ceiling, with poles on it, allowing actual live asari dancers to show off their moves, causing Ben to blush slightly, something his batarian escort found humorous. To the right was a bar with quite a number of patrons drinking down strange-colored liquids, no doubt very alcoholic in nature. To the left was a cluster of tables and a door to a separate room. At the back was yet another dr, this one much larger. On either side of the back wall was a staircase with an armed guard on each side, both stairs leading up to a balcony that overlooked the club.

The batarian pointed to the staircase on the right side, giving the silent order right before heading for the bar, his rifle slung over his shoulder. Shrugging, Ben walked over and past the turian guard, who eyed him suspiciously as he ascended the staircase. When Ben reached the top, he looked to his left and saw an asari standing at the edge of the balcony, though he only saw her back, he recognized the tentacles that made up the back of her head. On her white jacket was a symbol he did not recognize. Ben also took notice of the half-dozen turian and batarian guards that had their weapons at the ready in case he decided to do something foolish regarding their boss.

Ben took a deep breath and walked toward the asari, whom he assumed was Aria. When he got within a few feet...

"That's close enough," she said quietly, though loud enough for her point to be heard. A turian and batarian lunged forward and aimed their pistols at Ben's head, pausing him in his tracks.

He watched as Aria twitched her head slightly to the left, which caused the turian and batarian to lower their weapons and back away.

"I'm guessing you're Aria?" Ben asked, though he had a sneaking suspicion he was correct.

The asari turned around, showing off quite an attractive face and curvy body. But what Ben took special notice of was the lethal look in her eyes. A look he had seen many times before, most especially in the eyes of his archenemy, Vilgax.

The eyes of a ruthless, unstoppable warlord.

"You guess correctly," she said, her voice silky smooth and sultry, though possessing an undercurrent of danger. "You're quite an interesting young man, aren't you?"

Unfortunately, Ben couldn't keep his trap shut as he smirked. "I think you're the first woman to ever say that to me."

However, to Ben's surrise, Aria gave the tiniest hint of a smile, though it disappeared as fast as it came.

"Cute. But I didn't invite you up here for your looks or wit," she said.

"Then what did you call me here for?"

Aria looked over at the turian guard closest to Ben and gave a slight nod. The turian pulled out a datapad from his waist and held it out for Ben to take, which he did. On the screen was a picture of him as Rath, grabbing one of the batarians that had tried to mug him before and slamming him into a wall. The image then shifted to a picture of a green flash, then Ben himself standing where the tiger-like alien once stood.

"Huh. The camera really does add ten pounds..." Ben muttered under his breath, attempting to subdue his panic with humor. What did this woman want?

"But it doesn't add three feet in height. Or fur. Or claws," Aria replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

"True," Ben conceded as he returned the datapad to the turian. "Since you have cameras everywhere, and such a large security force, I'm guessing you run Omega?"

Aria let out a laugh, though it was devoid of humor. It was more condescending and slightly haughty.

She turned around and spread her arms out, as if to indicate everything within view.

"I **am **Omega."

_Quite a flair for the dramatic_, Ben thought sardonically. Then again, he still called out the names of his aliens four years after he put the Omnitrix back on. Who was he to judge?

The asari turned back around and narrowed her eyes. "I'm the boss, CEO. **Queen**, if you're feeling dramatic. But that's beside the point. I want to know how you turned into that creature. And I **always **get what I want."

"All hail the Queen," Ben said, starting to feel a slight dislike for this woman.

Aria smirked. "Exactly. And on Omega, there's only one rule..."

With that, she sat down on the couch that wrapped around the perimeter of the balcony.

"Don't **fuck **with Aria." Her lips curled into a cruel smile at her words.

Ben didn't really like foul language, but he shook it off. "Alright. I can remember that."

"And if you forget, **someone** will remind you," she responded, gesturing toward the batarian to Ben's left.

"And I toss your ass out the nearest airlock," he threatened with a malicious grin.

Aria then gestured to the couch on her right, allowing Ben to take a seat and lean back. This couch was comfortable!

"So, about your little transformation..." she began, her voice almost sweet, though still carrying the threat of death or torture if he disobeyed her.

"Well..." Ben began, though he was interrupted by the turian guard, who was currently looking over the balcony and at the floor below. "Boss, Commander Shepard just walked in with some friends."

"Hm. What an interesting day. A shapeshifting kid and a dead Spectre. These are strange times we're living in," Aria noted to herself, sounding amused by the prospect of it all. The wielder of the Omnitrix had read about Spectres in the terminal. Apparently they were the best agents in the galaxy, sent to do the toughest and most covert missions. And he had also read about the late Commander Shepard. But there was something else that had to be said.

Ben frowned. "The kid's name is Ben Tennyson."

The asari waved her hand in dismissal. "Alright, **Ben Tennyson**, hold your answer while I deal with this little interruption."

Ben just shrugged and remained leaned back in his seat, waiting about a minute before three individuals turned the corner and aproached Aria.

The one that caught Ben's attention immediately was a beautiful raven-haired woman in a skin-tight black and white catsuit, showing off her curvy body that surpassed even Aria's. Beside her was a dark-skinned man in a tight black outfit that showed off his muscular body.

Standing in front of them was a man wearing grey armor with the characters "N7" on the left breastplate. On the right shoulder and arm was a red stripe going down to his hand. The man possessed chiseled features and a shaved head, showing him to be a soldier, and judging by the look in his eyes, a dangerous one at that. He had a cluster of scars on his face that glowed with an eerie light. If Shepard had truly died, then maybe he was bought back with advanced cybernetics. Or this man was a cyborg imposter.

"Aria?" he asked in a deep voice. "One of your turian lackeys said you wanted to see me."

She smirked in response. "Just wanted to see what brings a dead Spectre to Omega. Speaking of which, you need to be scanned."

Shepard then frowned in response. "Anyone who tries it will be scanning the inside of their colon."

Ben's eyes widened in shock, while Aria let out a humored laugh. "I'd almost **pay** to see that. Unfortunately, it's not optional. You want to talk, you get scanned."

Ben looked over at Aria as the batarian that threatened to throw Ben out the airlock began scanning Shepard with one of the omni-tools he had read about. "You didn't bother scanning me," he noted.

Shepard glanced over at him and raised an eyebrow. "Who's the kid?"

The dark-skinned man snorted. "Probably one of Aria's new stooges going through an initiation."

The wielder of the Omnitrix narrowed his eyes, though he said nothing.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Aria said in a fake shocked voice. "Shepard, this is my new friend, Ben Tennyson. Ben, you're probably already familiar with the legendary Commander Shepard."

Shepard's eyes widened as he looked at the nineteen-year-old once more.

"**You're** Ben Tennyson?" he asked, surprise in his voice.

"It can't be," said the raven-haired woman, a hint of contempt in her voice. "The Illusive Man wouldn't send us after a **child**."

Ben blinked. "Wait, how do you know me?"

"Yes, I'd like to know that as well," Aria added, leaning forward, intrigued by this new turn of events.

The Commander looked back and forth between the two of them before speaking again. "I'm on a dangerous mission, and I was given dossiers of the most capable people in the galaxy to recruit. One of them was Ben Tennyson," he narrowed his eyes as he added "possible shapeshifter."

Ben was stunned. Someone had a dossier on him? In this alternate reality? How could that be?

Regardless, he had found the reason he was sent here. Obviously he was meant to meet Shepard, though whether or not he joined the Commander had yet to be seen.

"Well, that's actually why I invited the young man up here," Aria explained, turning to gaze at the teenager. "To see this supposed shapeshifting power for myself."

Now everyone was staring at him, as if waiting for something to happen.

Sighing, Ben saw he was between a rock and a hard place. He cracked his neck and stood up, lifting his left wrist and activating the Omnitrix. Everyone's eyes diverted toward it as Ben spun the dial, attempting to find an appropriate alien to show off his power.

Making his choice, he slammed his hand down on the dial, feeling the familiar transformation as his skin became rock-hard and his height increased.

The green flash died down, and Ben called out his name.

"**DIAMONDHEAD!**"

Now there stood a seven-foot-tall Petrosapien, with a dark indigo body and green crystal arms, along with green spikes coming from his back.

Once Ben looked up again, he saw that practically everyone had a weapon drawn on him now. The two individuals that had accompanied Shepard now glowed with dark energy. Looks like they're both biotics.

Shepard and Aria were the only ones who didn't react negatively, Aria grinning with dark interest and Shepard looking like he had hit the jackpot.

"But there's more," Shepard said, ending the silence and causing Aria's shocked guards to jump out of surprise. "I'm looking for information on Mordin Solus and Archangel."

Aria looked at him, then back at Ben.

"Alright. And I assume you'll wanna take the boy with you?" she asked, pointing over at the tall diamond-like creature.

"Yep."

Diamondhead blinked. Had he just been handed over like a hunk of meat?

"Tennyson goes with you, then. But, when the time comes, you're both gonna owe me a **big** favor. Sound good?" Aria asked dangerously.

Shepard nodded in agreement, as did Ben.

* * *

Five minutes later, Ben was back to normal and standing outside Afterlife with Commander Shepard and his allies, whom he had introduced as Jacob Taylor and Miranda Lawson.

"Welcome to the team, Ben Tennyson," Shepard said, holding out his hand, which Ben shook.

"Hey, I'm just glad I can help. So what's this mission we're gonna be doing, anyway?" the wielder of the Omnitrix asked.

Shepard's face darkened. "Ever heard of the Collectors?"

Ben shook his head.

Miranda spoke up. "Our organization has discovered that the Collectors are harvesting human colonies out in the Terminus systems. Hundreds of thousands have disappeared already. More will follow if we don't stop them."

Ben stiffened. People, being abducted by malevolent aliens? This wasn't gonna continue. He wouldn't allow it.

"And what organization is that?" he asked, curious.

"Cerberus."

Cerberus? Why did that sound familiar? But that wasn't important at the moment.

"Okay, so what do we do now?" Ben asked.

Shepard explained. "We're putting together a special team of the best in the galaxy, like I said. Three of them were located here, including you. Now we have to find the other two, and Aria just gave us that information."

Ben nodded, having been there when the queen of Omega explained who and where each individual was.

"Since our time is short, we should split up. Ben, Lawson, you go find Mordin Solus," the Spectre ordered.

The Cerberus operative's eyes widened. "Commander, we can't just split up! And furthermore, you cannot assign me this **boy** as back-up!"

Ben felt a twinge of annoyance. "Hey, I'm **nineteen**, and I've been kicking butt and taking names since I was **ten**! Trust me, I can handle myself!"

"See, Miranda?" Shepard teased. "Ben's got the right spirit. You need any armor or weapons?"

Ben shook his head, holding up his wrist that held the Omnitrix for emphasis. Shepard nodded his understanding.

"Come on Jacob. Let's go sign up for that Archangel hunt," the commander said, walking away with Jacob right behind him.

Miranda sighed, annoyed, and turned around to look Ben dead in the eye. "If the commander has assigned me to you, then I suppose I have no choice. But remember, I have no patience for **incompetence**, or **recklessness**, or **heroes**. I'm in charge, and you **will** follow my commands, understand?"

Ben rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, whatever. Let's just get going, already."

Lawson threw him one last glare as she turned and began to storm off, Ben right behind her.

Of course, the trickiest part of walking behind Miranda Lawson was trying to keep your eyes from journeying too low, lest you suffer the consequences. That was a lesson Ben was learning now, as he was attempting to not stare at her very generous backside, which was further shown off by her tight catsuit.

Seriously, she was going into battle in that thing?!

* * *

**_Wow, finished a chapter in a single day. Hasn't happened to me in forever..._**

**_Anyway, next mission is Ben and Miranda teaming up to fix Omega's plague problem, featuring special guest Mordin Solus! We'll see how they fight together, their differences in how they handle a situation, what he thinks of her organization's methods, and, of course, some good old Ben 10 alien action! If you want a specific alien to appear, let me know. Maybe I can make it happen!_**

**_Final vote for Shepard was 6 for male, 5 for female, so it looks like this story's gonna have a MShep (in case you haven't figured that out already)._**

**_I was also surprised at how fast this story got favorites and followers. It makes me happy to know that my story caught on so quickly. So thank you, you guys really inspire me to write this._**

**_Again, reviews always appreciated. And remember to go to my profile and vote for Ben's love interest. I'm not guaranteeing the poll will truly decide who he romances, but it'll be interesting to see what you guys pick._**


	3. The Good Doctor, Part 1

**Chapter 3: The Good Doctor, Pt I**

Ben sighed as he walked alongside his new teammate, the silence between them making him increasingly nervous. While he could not deny that Miranda Lawson was both beautiful and sexy, he could tell that she was extremely dangerous. He could also guess that her sense of humor, if in fact she possessed one, was completely different from his. Combine that with the increasingly unhappy look on her face, and it meant that she probably wasn't up for much conversation.

But little details like that never stopped Ben Tennyson before.

"So," he began, attempting to think of a topic. "You're a biotic, huh?"

"Yes," came her curt reply, though she did not bother sparing him a glance.

"Cool, cool," he said, internally raging at himself. _'That's all you can come up with? Even Kevin could do better than this!'_

"So what can you tell me about this guy we're looking for?" he asked, trying again to get her to converse with him.

Miranda sighed, but acquiesced. "He's a salarian doctor, regarded highly in the medical field. We need him to develop a conutermeasure to protect us from the Collectors' seeker swarms."

This time, the catsuit-wearing woman did look over at Ben, and, noting his confused expression, explained further. "The Collectors are an insect-like race with highly advanced technology. They abduct the colonists by sending out swarms of insects that paralyze every human they land on, allowing the Collectors to come in and round them up without resistance."

Ben's eyes widened. What exactly were they dealing with?

"Why are they doing this?" he questioned.

"They work for the Reapers."

A simple reply, but a foreboding one.

"Reapers? Those sound **real** friendly," Ben muttered.

Miranda nodded as they turned a corner. "They're a hyper-advanced machine race that wiped out the Protheans fifty thousand years ago."

Ben remembered that. "But I thought they just vanished?"

"No. The Reapers were thorough. They erased all knowledge of their existence and annihilated all sentient life in the galaxy. Then they retreated into dark space. Now they're trying to return to destroy **us**."

"So we stop the Collectors, then the Reapers?" Ben guessed.

"Precisely."

The nineteen-year-old hero was beginning to understand everything a lot better now. That must be why Paradox sent him to this alternate timeline. He had already saved his own galaxy (and universe) multiple times. Now he had the chance to save another.

With that, Ben allowed a slightly more comfortable silence to fall upon the two of them.

After a few more minutes of walking, Miranda pointed down a corridor to a large door, where a turian with an assault rifle was busy arguing with a human woman over something.

"We're here. Stay quiet and let me do all the talking," the raven-haired beauty ordered. Ben sighed, but nodded as he followed her over to the angry woman and annoyed turian.

"I told you to get lost, lady!" the turian growled as he checked his assault rifle. "The plague has the whole zone quarantined. Nobody gets in or out!"

"I'm human, you ass!" the lady retorted. "Humans can't **get** the plague. Now let me in so I can get my stuff before looters get it!"

"This plague affects **every other race** out there! We're not taking chances! Nobody gets in until the plague has run its course, or that salarian doctor cures it," the turian explained.

Ben and Miranda shared a glance. Looks like they had found the right place. The two approached the turian, and Ben stood to the side as Miranda spoke.

"We're here on important business, and we're not going to simply walk away," she warned as she locked eyes with the turian. Ben frowned. Just what the hell was she trying to do, start a fight?

"That so?" the turian asked mockingly. He then took a step closer and got up in Miranda's face. "Do yourself a favor, babe: Go back to pole-dancing. You're obviously dressed for it."

Ben's eyes widened as he saw Miranda's fists clench up, biotic aura flaring up around her hands. Knowing that assaulting one of Aria's men could cause a problem in the near future, Ben reacted quickly and ran forward, stepping between the Cerberus operative and the very foolish turian.

"Sorry about that," Ben apologized, putting on his best charming style. "My colleague can be a little... headstrong. Let me talk to her."

The turian grunted, allowing Ben to take a few steps back, taking Miranda with him by grabbing her arm. "What exactly do you think you're doing?" she snapped irritably.

Ben frowned. "Look, I get that we're in a hurry, but starting a war with Aria can really come back to bite us, right?"

Miranda's eyes narrowed dangerously, though Ben was not intimidated in the slightest. Gwen's glare was much more terrifying, anyway.

"Let me handle this," he said, turning and walking back over to the turian.

"Hey," he began, "we're looking for Mordin Solus. It's important."

"The salarian doctor?" the turian asked, surprised. "Crazy bastard opened up a clinic a few months ago to help plague victims. But our orders are to wait until either the plague runs its course or the Blue Suns kill everyone. Then we go in and clean up."

Ben felt his temper flare up when the turian mentioned the deaths of innocents so casually, but he held in his tongue. They were on a mission, after all.

"From what I can tell, you're stuck guarding a door over and over until this problem is solved, which could take a few weeks," Ben observed. "Me and my lady friend here can help solve that problem. This isn't the first time I've handled a situation no one else can solve."

The turian rubbed his chin in thought, while Miranda facepalmed at the events she had just witnessed. If this actually worked, she would be nothing short of amazed. And maybe a little embarrassed.

After a few moments, the turian shrugged. "You think you can straighten this whole thing out, why not?"

Miranda's eyes widened in shock, and her jaw most likely would have dropped if she didn't have such rigid self-control. But she was still stunned. All this boy did was ask nicely, and suddenly they're in? That wasn't how things on Omega usually worked.

"I'll radio ahead, let 'em know you're coming," the turian offered as he unlocked the door behind him, allowing Ben and Miranda entrance into the district. "Just remember; we're not letting you back out until the plague has run its course."

"What can you tell me about the plague, anyway?" Ben questioned, wanting a little info before going into a dangerous area.

"Well, it affects multiple species. Turians, salarians, even krogan. It starts off as a simple cough, but that degenerates into spitting up blood. Eventually you bleed from the eyes, ears, pretty much every hole you have in your body. Not a pretty way to go."

At that moment, Miranda walked back up and stood next to Ben. "How is that possible? Turians have a different DNA base than most other species, except for quarians."

The guard shrugged. "No idea. All I know is that anyone can contract it except humans and vorcha."

"Which is why the area is quarantined?" Ben guessed.

The turian nodded. "Aria's orders."

"But if it's crossing species barriers, it can't be a natural occurrence," Miranda theorized.

"Precisely," the turian agreed. "Somebody engineered it and let it loose on Omega. And since humans are unaffected, most people assume it was made by them."

Ben frowned. "What about the vorcha? They're immune too, right?"

"Vorcha are immune to any and all disease," Miranda explained.

Ben nodded in understanding and turned back to the guard. "Thanks for letting us in. We'll have this district straightened out before you know it."

The woman that had been arguing with the turian earlier, and who had been listening in on the conversation, sighed in annoyance, threw her arms up in exasperation, and stormed off.

"Ladies first," the Omnitrix wielder offered, gesturing toward the door. Miranda rolled her eyes and began walking, the nineteen-year-old right behind her.

A few minutes later, Ben and Miranda entered the district, coming across the barricades that prevented anyone from leaving, a dozen turians ready with rifles in case anyone attempted to spread the plague to the rest of Omega.

The guards watched the two with the looks similar to the ones given to death row inmates when they were going to the electric chair.

The pair reached the entrance to the lower end of the district, which had two turians watching it on either side. The one on the right spoke up. "Good luck in there. Blue Suns and Blood Pack are killing anything that moves."

Ben nodded in thanks, while Miranda remained silent and walked calmly through the doorway.

At the bottom of the stairs, the two saw an open area, with what looked like pits of fire spread around. Near the end of the room were two Blue Suns mercs.

Miranda slowly pulled out her Predator pistol and began aiming at the merc on the right when Ben's hand shot up and pushed it down. The beautiful Cerberus operative glared at him as she yanked her pistol out of his grip.

"What the hell are you doing?" she snapped.

Ben frowned as he explained. "From the minute I saw your weapons, I knew I'd have to accept the fact that you guys kill people. While I don't agree, I understand. But **I** don't kill people. If I see a chance to take down someone without ending them, I'm gonna take it."

Miranda scowled. "Your naivete is a hindrance. You need to grow up and understand that in this galaxy, especially on Omega, it's kill or be killed. Shepard or I might order you to take a life on this mission. Think you can you handle that, **boy**?"

The teen's face darkened. "I've killed before. But it was a last resort, and it's not something I want to do again. Now stay here."

With that, Ben melted into the shadows and moved away.

The Cerberus operative rolled her eyes, but stayed hidden with her pistol ready, out of sight of the mercenaries. If the kid screwed up, she'd probably have to save his ass.

A few seconds later, she heard a deep voice yell "**FRANKENSTRIKE!**"

The bellow was followed by yells of terror, gunfire, and what sounded like some form of electric discharge. Shortly after, that same deep voice spoke again, "You can come out now, Miranda."

The woman blinked in surprise and emerged from cover, holstering her pistol as she saw a large creature standing over the unconscious forms of the Blue Suns mercs.

But her attention was immediately drawn to Ben Tennyson's transformed state, which appeared to be a large humanoid that bore a strange resemblance to the classic Frankenstein's monster. He was large and muscular, with skin that looked like a mix between green and grey coloring. He had black hair that became a mullet and sideburns, strange stitching on certain parts of his body, two large conductor towers on his back, brown fingerless gloves and black pants that ended with large boots. The Omnitrix symbol shone proudly on his chest.

"Impressive form," Miranda conceded before glancing over at the fire pits. Now that they were closer, the two could smell the burning flesh coming from the corpses that had been thrown into the flames. "Looks like they were trying to keep the plague from spreading by burning all infected bodies."

"A desperate move," the being known as Frankenstrike noted.

The sound of someone coughing caused the two to glance over to a nearby hallway, where a lone figure sat on the ground, legs spread out in front of him and head lowered.

Ben calmly walked over and kneeled in front of the person to get a better look.

"Hm. Batarian. Looks like he's in bad shape," he reported to Miranda.

"Leave him. We have to find the salarian," she ordered.

"Just leave him here to die? Are you insane?" Ben asked, disgusted by her callousness.

"The more time we waste, the more people die, either from the plague or the mercenaries that control this district," she explained.

Their conversation was ended prematurely as the batarian weakly glanced upward. "What the hell are you?" he asked, staring at Frankenstrike with a mix of awe and fear.

"I'm a human. Kinda," Ben responded.

"Hm. Human. No matter how freaky you look, you're all alike. Here to loot me without even letting me die first," the sick alien grumbled as he coughed up a small amount of blood.

"Whoa, we're just here to help," Frankenstrike protested.

"I don't need your damn help, human!" the batarian retorted, his attempt at yelling falling short due to his sickness.

Miranda rolled her eyes and stepped forward. "We're looking for Mordin Solus. Can you tell us anything?"

The batarian snorted. "Figures. Humans looking for the human sympathizer. I hope the Suns burn that damn clinic to the ground. I hope you... *cough*... dammit, damn you..."

Ben felt his heart race as he realized that the four-eyed alien was going to die if he didn't act fast. He tapped the Omnitrix and spoke. "Omnitrix, can you cure him of the plague?"

Miranda's eyes widened as the device on Frankenstrike's chest began to speak in Ben Tennyson's voice. "_Yes. All damage will be repaired and the subject will become immune to the affliction._"

"Do it," Ben ordered.

A bright green light emanated from the Omnitrix symbol and covered the batarian in its glow. After about a minute, the light died out and the batarian blinked in surprise.

"The plague... It's gone!" he cried out in surprise. He grunted slightly as he stood up, leaning against the wall as he stared at Frankenstrike with gratitude and shock. "Why would you help me, human?"

Ben stood up to his full height and calmly gazed down at the formerly sick alien. "It's what I do. We're here to find Mordin Solus and cure everyone in the district."

Miranda felt a twinge of annoyance at the boy's nonstop heroism. They had only one assignment: retrieve Mordin Solus. Nothing else mattered. Let Aria deal with the plague on her own time.

But then again, if Shepard were here, he would be doing the exact same thing. He was well-known for his Good Samaritan nature, something that he and Ben Tennyson apparently shared. Maybe the outcome would have been the same way, even if the Commander had come along. So for now, she'd have to bite the bullet and run with it.

"Then, what do you wish to know?" the batarian asked, seemingly willing to help now that he had seen the generosity of a human.

"What can you tell me about Mordin Solus?" the transformed teenager asked.

"He takes in refugees on the other side of the district. Has a clinic there. He's trying to help victims of the plague."

"Why didn't you go there, then?" Miranda asked, curious.

"He's dangerous. I was afraid to go to him."

Frankenstrike blinked in surprise. "Dangerous how?"

"The Blue Suns tried to push him for protection money. He stunned them with some kind of toxin, then killed them. Shot them in the head, once each. He's not just a doctor. Doctors don't just gun down mercs like he did."

The batarian shuddered at his own words.

"Sounds like STG training," Miranda said thoughtfully, touching her left index and middle fingers to her lips in an intrigued motion.

Ben turned back to the plague victim. "You're cured now. Have the guys at the blockade scan you and they should let you go."

The batarian nodded. "You saved my life human. I will never forget this. Thank you."

With that, the batarian slowly walked toward the entrance to the district, leaving Frankenstrike and Miranda standing there near the burning corpses.

"So, Miranda," Ben started as he turned to walk further into the district, "care to explain what exactly the Blue Suns are?"

The Cerberus operative began walking alongside the large alien as she spoke. "They're one of the three biggest mercenary groups in the Terminus Systems."

"Tell me about all three. I wanna know what I'm dealing with," Ben explained grimly.

"Well, the Blue Suns were founded by a man named Vido Santiago, and are well-known for their ruthless efficiency and discretion. They employ humans, batarians, and turians," Miranda began.

"They also run extortion plots, don't they?" Ben guessed.

The woman nodded. "Then you have Eclipse, founded by asari commando Jona Sederis. They rely heavily on mechs, and are commonly used for security purposes and smuggling. They're more stealthy than the Suns or Blood Pack, and prefer strategy over brute force. They mostly employ humans, salarians, and of course, asari."

"And the Blood Pack?"

Miranda snorted. "The most brutal and least intelligent of the bunch. Only uses krogan and vorcha. A krogan battlamaster named Ganar Wrang turned them from a small time gang into a large mercenary organization. They prefer jobs that require copious amounts of bloodshed and violence, with more muscle than the other two."

"And all three are bad news, I take it?" Ben asked sarcastically.

A simple nod was his answer.

After a few more minutes of walking, the pair spotted a Blue Suns checkpoint up ahead, with about a dozen agents all ready to kill anything that dared walk by.

Ben glanced up at the ceiling. "These walls are metal, right?"

"Yes," Miranda asked, confused.

"Good."

Frankenstrike turned around and stuck his foot onto the wall. He then lifted his other foot and attached it to the wall as well. He now hung sideways on the wall.

"Electromagnetic body," he explained as he walked up the wall while Miranda drew her SMG and found some cover, waiting for her shapeshifting ally to start the fireworks.

After a few minutes of walking along the wall and ceiling, Ben was now directly above the Blue Suns mercs. Charging his fists up with electricity, Frankenstrike released his magnetic grip on the ceiling and plunged into the midst of the men below.

He landed with a loud thud, leaping into action before the Suns could get their bearings. He lashed out with a kick on a batarian, knocking him into the wall, before turning and unleashing green lightning from his fingertips into three more, rendering them unconscious.

A turian merc screamed as he began firing with his Vindicator assault rifle, though the bullets simply bounced off Frankenstrike's durable skin. Ben turned and swung a fist into the turian's head, sending him flying a good distance away.

There were six left, and Ben cracked his neck. "You can drop your weapons and run, or wind up like your friends there."

The shapeshifter waved his hand towards the unconscious mercs for emphasis.

Glancing at each other, the remaining six did the most foolish choice possible. They resumed fire.

Frankenstrike sighed and lifted his fists to gather a large amount of electricity, bullets bouncing off his skin the whole time. After a few seconds, Ben unleashed a massive electric blasts that not only knocked the weapons out of the mercenaries' hands, but also shot them into the air before letting them drop back to the ground, all out cold.

_BLAM!_

Ben quickly turned around, electricity surging, to attack whoever had fired that shot. However, he didn't have to worry. Miranda calmly strolled up, her Tempest in hand, and stepped over a now-dead mercenary with a hole in his head, his hand firmly wrapped around a missile launcher.

"Need to watch your back," she noted as she lightly kicked the merc's body.

"Thanks," he responded, steeling himself. While he never enjoyed seeing someone die, and attempted to prevent death whenever he could, he knew that on a mission like this, death was an inevitable factor. God knows how many mercs Shepard and Jacob were killing at this very moment. But Ben himself would most certainly **not** be taking any lives during his time in this universe.

Miranda nodded, and Ben looked over her toward a locked apartment door. "Think we should check it out for any survivors?"

"Might as well," she replied, and the two walked over.

"I think I can get this open," the Operative said as she opened up her omnitool and began typing in command codes. After a few moments, the door opened.

"Shall we?" Ben invited.

The two entered the darkened apartment.

What they found saddened Ben heavily.

A man and woman, maybe a couple, were lying down on the floor, hands clasped, dried blood all around their bodies, a knife lying near their slit wrists.

"Why would they do this?" Ben asked quietly.

"They saw no other way out. It was either this or the mercenaries. They thought no one would come to help them," Miranda said, her voice giving away her feelings. She was just as horrified by this as Ben was.

"If they had just waited, we could have saved them," the teenager stated.

"You can't save everyone," Miranda responded, sounding slightly bitter. "No matter how hard you try or how well you do, you can **never** save every last life."

Ben sighed in acknowledgement. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. Over the years, he had learned that lesson many times. You could never truly save everyone.

"Come on," the Cerberus operative said, gently touching Ben on the arm. "We have a doctor to recruit, a plague to cure, and abductions to stop."

Frankenstrike nodded. He couldn't save everyone.

But he sure as hell was going to do his best.

* * *

_**Depressing ending is depressing! Yeah, I was gonna end this chapter with Ben convincing that couple to go to Mordin's clinic, but I figured it'd be more interesting to end this chapter on a dark note (plus Disturbed's "Inside the Fire" playing in the background while I wrote this). That's a simple fact in Mass Effect: not everyone survives. So the sooner Ben learns that, the sooner he can accept that difficult decisions must be made. And believe me, some serious choices are going to be made in this fic. Genophage? Geth rights? Should prove interesting.**_

_**I feel like I forgot to mention my main inspirations for this story. First of all, the new 'Star Trek' films, with the alternate universe story. Ben in Mass Effect is gonna seriously change continuity. Don't believe me? Give it time.**_

_**My other inspiration is LuxDragon's "Fight For The Lost" fanfic, a novelization of ME2. Extremely well-written, I used it when I was stuck writing certain parts of this chapter. Go and read it if you enjoy ME.**_

_**Anyway, I've been pulled in all kinds of different directions regarding this story, including what major events I want to change, who lives and dies, and of course, the romance. **__**Now, here's the thing: Ben is NOT going to romance Tali. Why? Because EVERYONE ****always wants to romance Tali. Seriously, I love Tali and her romance, but it. Is. So. Effing. Overused. So Ben/Tali? Not gonna happen. End of story.**_

_**Also, just for the hell of it, romance poll is back up! I've been playing the Citadel DLC, and I've got some new ideas. But I still want to hear your voices. Who do you want? NOT TALI!**_

_**Reviews appreciated, and next chapter should be up soon (hopefully).**_


End file.
